Dos Palos resident George Aguaristi, who plans to file a lawsuit against Merced County, speaks about how officers killed his dog Samson in May, at his home in Dos Palos, Calif., on Thursday, June 21, 2018.

University of California President Janet Napolitano discusses health care access in the San Joaquin Valley with University of California, Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland and Assemblymember Adam Gray, D-Merced, in Merced on Friday.

Former Los Banos priest, Robert Gamel, 67, pleaded no contest to charges of possession of child pornography and pleaded guilty to violation of probation at the Merced County Superior Courthouse on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017. Gamel was previously arres

A male driver believed to be in his 50s died Tuesday morning after an SUV carrying his family crashed upside down into a canal at the corner of Nickel Road and Sand Slough Road between Los Banos and Merced, CHP Los Banos Officer Dean Emehiser said

A house on the 14000 Block of Volta Road in Los Banos caught fire in the afternoon on Monday July 31, 2017 possibly leaving the occupants displaced, according to Merced County Fire Department officials. One person

Melissa Bal, 37, of San Diego, appears before Judge Jeanne Schechter at the Merced County Superior Courthouse for a competency hearing where no decision was made, in Merced, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. Bal, who is suspected of killing her

Ramnik Samrao, the public defender representing 19-year-old Obdulia Sanchez Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017, stands with Sanchez during her trial setting conference at Merced Superior Court. Sanchez's original trial date was delayed to give her defense more time as critical bloodwork is retested.